Game



June 30, 1931. G. L. BONHAM GAME Filed Sept. 17,, 1928 abfionfiamilwwm Gum/Maia.

vncwo o k Patented une 30, 1931 J-GAME I "Application. filed September 17,1928. ',Seria1 No., 306,299.

This inventionrelates to a game ofthetenpin type, one of the objects being to provide a game utilizing a suspended ball adapted to be swung by the player so as tostrikethe pins on the return or back swing wherebyv the va rious shots are rendered quite diflicult.

A further object is to provide" a game wherein the head pin is located away from the player where it-can be among the first struck by the ball during its return movement. r r v Another object is to so mount theball that itican be given a spinning movement while" qcan; be mounted on tables swinging, thereby to cause the ball toamove in a desired direction bothwhile swingingfree-e .ly and while contacting with thepins. 1

Astill further obj ectis to provide a game in which the spotted' -pins are grouped off center relative to the vertical axis about. which the ball is adapted to move so that,v during the forward swinging movement of QItIisiprefer'red to provide upper-and lower the ball it can travel clear of the pins. H

A still further object is to provide a game of this type which can be made on a small 4 scale for indoor use and on a large scale for 7 outdoor use; it-being unnecessary to provide in the precise embodimentfofthe invention 7 having an ppening the bottom" wall of this opening s recessed" a special base for the, apparatus inasmuch as the same can be erected on a table, floor, or on the surface of the ground. f

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as. the description 7 proceeds the invention resides in the combidetails of construction hereinafter described and claimed it being understood that changes herein disclosed may be made within-the scope of what is claimed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.v 1

In the accompanying ferred formof the invention has been shown.

a In said drawings, a

Figure 1' is aside elevation ofthe game rame being removed and the extreme positions of the ball being indicated by broken lines. l

i Figure 2 is a front elevation :of the 'appa ratus as viewed from that'end where the player stands.

the support.

Tth m p, yv p g. o membersfi preferably' extend from theside and far end. portionsof the railings and are. nation and arrangement of parts and in the so shapedas to aff rd Silflicicnt clea an e t9 f s permit the 'free swinging of the ball.. used in I drawings. the pre '4 apparatus, the near side of the supporting c "Figure; is a top plan view of the.

supportingbase showing the'normal posi- Figure 5 is a section through the ball showmg the connection between said ball and Referring to the figures by characters reference 1; design standards 2 which, in games of small; siz'es, I or similar struc-.; tures. in which event the bases 3 of the stand ards can be provided withisoft pads-of felt,

orthe 'like,not shown so as to prevent inmounted; Inlargerstructures, standards can be' embedded'in the/ground" or; can be otherwise held securely in place.

rails at thesides and farendof the structuree v enlarged section showing v thje up-per ballsupporting coupling.

ates a railing supported by jury to the-surface onwhich the game is 1 howeven 'the I .and asingle rail at the front end, this single railbeing indicated at 4. The'standards andp the rails can be .made of pipe or the like and. extended upwardly from; ;thej side rails 11s asuperstructure consisting of; upwardly I converging 'framegmembers' 5 connected, at members '6. These f playingthegamea; 1 t 1 H Depending from the couplingfi is a tongue a s indicatedjat 9. 5 Mounted to rock freely in any direction within this recessisa pointed a link 11 whi h extends loosely bhroug'hl'the opening 8 and hasoppose'd-portions converging downwardly wh securelyto the upper en O fl 'fiex l pporting element such as a cord 12. H The lower j end ofthjis flexible supporting .element isat "tachedto aneye'13 located at the upper end. f: of a stei'ngltextending diametrically through U i and rotatable freelyrwithin a ball 15. Stem .100

8, therethrough and so stud or tooth 'lflextendingdownwardly from! 5 v ere the link is' attached f 1 1 is provided at its ends with ball bearings 16 housed within the ball. Thus a swivel connection is provided and the ball is free to rotate readily on the stem.

The pins 17 which can be of the same type and number as ten pins, are adapted to be arranged in properly spaced relation upon a triangular base 18 and this base is located to one side ot a vertical line extending clownwardly from the recess 9 so that under normal conditions the ball 15 will be suspended substai'itially in position relative to the pins as indicated in Figure 3.

It the game is of small type such as adapted to be used on a table or the like the bottom of the base can be provided with a soft protecting material such as felt or the like so that the base will not scratch the surface on which. it mounted. In a small size game the pins 17 will of course be smaller than in a larger game apparatus for outdoor use which will use pins of standard sizes. A. net 19 or other suitable protecting device is adapted to be suspended irom the railing 4L- where it will be directly in front of the player so as to act as a backstop for the pin when driven backwardly by the ball.

In using this game apparatus the base 18 is properly placed and the pins 17 are properly set up thereon. The player then stands back of the apparatus adjacent the backstop 19 and holds the ball 15 in such position that, when released, it will swing past the pins without touching them and will describe a curve at the far limits of its movement. The ball will then swing; back toward the player and, if properly delivered, will strike one or more of the pins so as to knock them from their positions. Obviously extreme skill must be utilized to so regulate the length of the swing, the curvature, and the angle of movement, as to cause the ball to knock down the greatest possible number of pins at one stroke. The counting can be the same as that in ten pins and it will be found that, by twirling the ball about the bearings 16, many intricate plays can be made.

WVhen the pins are struck they will be knocked toward the player who, upon the completion of his play, can readily reach the pins and set them up in their proper positions without requiring the services of a pin boy.

Importance is attached to the fact that the various parts of the apparatus can be separated readily so that said apparatus can be quickly knocked down and stored and as quickly set up for use. Thus while it is especially useful, in small sizes, for use in homes, it can be used, on a larger scale, in club rooms, on fair grounds, and the like.

WVhat is claimed is:

A game apparatus including connected rails and frame members providing an enclosure, a tongue supported by the frame members above the enclosure and provided with an opening having a bottom recess, a link eX- tending loosely through the opening and downwardly from the tongue, a. tooth within the link and bearing in the recess for holding all portions of the link normally spaced from the tongue, a flexible supporting element delpending from the link, a ball, a stem on which the ball is mounted for rotation, means for connecting the stem to said flexible connection, and game pieces in the enclosure adapted to be struckby the ball.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

GUY L. BONIIAM. 

